


Writing in a Book Called Happiness

by Lurkz



Series: Heartlines [5]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Thanksgiving, literally just pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 02:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkz/pseuds/Lurkz
Summary: Literally just pure fluff about Thanksgiving. Set in the better universe where Sanvers didn't break up and is still engaged at Thanksgiving.





	Writing in a Book Called Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> Started poking at this, well, around Thanksgiving hence the theme. Posting it now because who doesn't need fluff to start out Pride month?
> 
> Could be viewed as a sort of a prequel to my Holiday fic.

Alex rolled over in bed, hand automatically reaching out. She frowned slightly when she encountered not only empty air but the edge of the bed. Turning her face slightly so she could open one eye, it took her a moment to process the sight of the wall and her high school posters. Right. Midvale. Old room. No Maggie. A glance at the clock showed it was eight a.m. She groaned and shoved her face back into the pillow, not caring that it was the holiday. She had no reason to get up yet.

A sound behind her made her grunt, but she refused to roll over or unbury her face. Really she just wanted to stay in bed until—she felt the bed dip as a body settled next to her. Alex shifted just enough to free her mouth and growl, “I’m not getting up yet, Kara.”

A soft laugh greeted her words and an equally soft hand settled on the back of her neck, toying with her hair. “I know you like to sleep in on holidays, babe, but I would think you’d at least want to say hello.”

Alex immediately rolled onto her back, trying to blink away the sleep. “Maggie?”

Maggie laughed down at her, moving her hand to gently brush disheveled hair out of Alex’s eyes. “Well, I’m certainly not Kara.”

“I thought you weren’t going to be here until later. Did you drive overnight?”

Maggie shook her head, smiling warmly. “No, Kara came and got me. I’ll ride back with you on Saturday. She said, and I quote, ‘Alex is being far too grouchy for you to get into town in the afternoon.’”

Alex reached up and gently gripped the lapel of Maggie’s jacket, a part of her amused and the rest deeply touched that her fiancée hadn’t even taken the time to remove it before coming to wake her up. She tugged lightly, encouraging Maggie to lean down. With a laugh, Maggie obliged, moving so her hands were braced on either side of Alex’s shoulders and she could lean in without falling. Alex hummed happily as they kissed, slowly waking up and sliding her hand from jacket to skin, curling it around the back of Maggie’s neck and tugging her down. She wrapped her other arm around Maggie’s waist, pulling her fiancée closer.

She grinned against Maggie’s lips as Maggie gave in and shifted so she was half lying on top of Alex rather than braced above her. Alex hummed again, deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms tighter around Maggie, trying to encourage the other woman to properly lie on the bed with her. Maggie laughed against her lips, tangling one hand in Alex’s hair as she murmured, “I take it coming up early was a good idea?”

“Very.” Alex pulled Maggie closer again, sliding her tongue against the other woman’s. Things had been hectic at both of their offices given the upcoming time off for their wedding, honeymoon, and holidays. That, combined with hashing out last minute wedding details, had left them with precious little time together, one or the other often having to leave early in the morning and eliminating their normal morning routine more often than not. Alex had missed these early—well not so early in the present case—make outs that often led to more before their alarms went off.

She had just managed to shove Maggie’s jacket off her arms and drop it on the floor when the door banged open. “Oh, jeez. When I said go wake her up this is not what I meant!”

Alex pulled back with a sigh, letting her head drop back to the pillow. Maggie laughed and dropped her head to Alex’s breastbone. “Good morning, Kara,” Alex said in a long-suffering tone.

“Definitely seems good for you,” Kara responded archly. Alex could hear the smugness in her voice.

“Yeah, yeah.” Alex turned her head so she could see her sister, back turned toward the couple. Alex absently stroked Maggie’s hair, her other arm wrapped tightly around her fiancée’s waist, hugging Maggie to her instinctively. Alex smiled softly at her sister. “Thanks, Kara. For bringing her.”

Kara turned to face them and her smug grin softened. “Of course.” She waved a hand vaguely. “You should, ah, get dressed. Eliza’s about to start cooking and she wants help.”

Alex nodded, automatically shifting to accommodate Maggie’s weight as her fiancée settled against her despite the awkward position, head tucked under Alex’s chin. Alex couldn’t stop the fond smile, weaving her fingers loosely through Maggie’s hair and gently massaging Maggie’s head. She felt Maggie melt against her, humming quietly against Alex’s breastbone. “I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Alex said to Kara, motioning to the door with her head.

Kara nodded, gaze flicking briefly to Maggie with a smile before she exited the room more quietly than she had entered, shutting the door softly behind her.

Alex redirected her attention to the woman sprawled on her chest, Maggie’s breath starting to come more slowly as Alex continued the soft motions of her hand. Gently, Alex nudged Maggie. “You awake, babe?”

“No,” came the slightly disgruntled response.

Alex laughed softly, pressing a kiss to Maggie’s hair. “How about you get more comfortable and take a nap while I go help my mom?”

She received no answer but Maggie shuffled herself more fully on the bed, cuddling into Alex’s side. Alex grinned affectionately, pressing another kiss to her fiancée’s head. Carefully, she started to pry herself out of Maggie’s grip—a task made more difficult by the adorable discontented sounds coming from the other woman. Finally, Alex managed to slip out of the bed, having managed to maneuver Maggie into a position where she was fully on the bed, properly resting on the pillow, and cuddling a second one instead of Alex’s body. Quietly, she moved around the bed and removed Maggie’s boots before draping the blanket that normally rested in the armchair over her sleepy fiancée.

Pressing a soft kiss to Maggie’s forehead, Alex moved to the door. Her bags were in the corner rather than the spare bedroom all the way down on the first floor, which she would share with Maggie for the next couple nights. She’d been unable to face sleeping in the larger bed alone and so had opted to bunk with Kara in their shared childhood room the previous night. While the DEO and CatCo had been more than willing to give Alex and Kara the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off in addition to the long weekend, Maggie had been unable to get the extra day and, in fact, had to be back to work on Sunday for a double shift also. This had resulted in Alex driving her motorcycle to Midvale the day before Thanksgiving, followed by Kara who had simply flown, with Maggie joining them on Thanksgiving Day. The plan had been that Maggie would drive her own bike up for the weekend, but Alex couldn’t deny the part of her that was completely giddy at the thought of having Maggie wrapped around her for the several hours it would take to return to National City on Saturday instead of driving her own motorcycle.

Alex looked back at her sleeping fiancée for a long moment, knowing she was wearing a dopey grin and not caring. She was so tempted to just curl back up in bed and cuddle with Maggie instead of continue downstairs. Shaking her head slightly, Alex forced herself to grab some clothes and slip out of the room, closing the door even more quietly than Kara had. A brief stop to change later and Alex was wandering into the kitchen downstairs, making a beeline for the coffee maker, which still held half a pot of coffee. On autopilot, she added the sugar then made a slight face when she took a sip.

“Something wrong with the coffee, dear?” her mother asked from the kitchen table where she was setting out recipes, a concerned crease in her forehead.

Alex waved a hand in dismissal. “No, nothing’s wrong.” At Eliza’s arched eyebrow, Alex half-smiled as she settled into the seat next to her mother. “Maggie convinced me to switch to honey a few months ago. Just not used to the flavor of sugar anymore, that’s all.”

Eliza smiled and nodded slightly. “I see. And where is Maggie now?”

Alex didn’t even try to stop the smile that crossed her lips at the thought of her beautiful fiancée. “Sleeping.” She rolled her head to look at Kara who had wandered back into the kitchen. “What time did you wake her up anyway, Kara?”

“Oh no, that is not my fault. I got there at a perfectly respectable time. Maggie was already awake and ready to go. If I’d been any later she’d have already been on the road. If she’s tired it has nothing to do with me.”

Alex took a moment to bask in the warm feeling of knowing Maggie had apparently been as anxious as she had to be reunited. Sipping her coffee, she half-listened to her mom listing out the dishes she intended to make for Thanksgiving dinner, letting her thoughts drift. The rest of the gang was scheduled to arrive later in the afternoon, giving them plenty of time to get the meal together in the interim. The last she had heard, James and Winn had somehow convinced J’onn to let them ride up in J’onn’s car. Alex was almost sad to miss it and had already bet Maggie on just how frazzled J’onn would be by the end of the trip.

“Oh shoot.” Her mother’s mild curse drew Alex’s attention back to the present. Her mother had moved into the kitchen proper while Alex was daydreaming and was pulling out ingredients. Kara was nowhere in sight.

“Something wrong, Mom?”

“I’m out of cinnamon and I grabbed the wrong kind of cheese for the potatoes.”

“Wait, what?” Kara appeared in the doorway between kitchen and family room, looking horrified. “But cheesy potatoes are one of the best things about Thanksgiving!”

Alex rolled her eyes. “I think what’s more critical is the lack of cinnamon for the pie.”

“But cheesy potatoes, Alex.”

Alex rolled her eyes again. “Such a tragedy. For that, you get to be the one to run to the store for mom.”

“What? Why me?”

“You’re indestructible. And you actually like being around people.”

“I—”

Eliza interrupted before Kara could properly respond. “Kara, please run to the store for the cheese and cinnamon and stop antagonizing your sister. Alex—”

“I didn’t do anything,” Alex interjected, draining her coffee.

Eliza sighed but turned to Kara again. “Please, Kara. We don’t need your sister arrested on Thanksgiving, after all.”

“Hey!” Alex glared at her family. Kara laughed and smirked at Alex before ducking out of the room. “I am not that bad, Mom!” Alex defended.

“Of course not, dear. Can you please assemble the ingredients for the pie so it’s ready when Kara returns?”

Alex grumbled some more about not being likely to get arrested but rose and meandered into the kitchen to start preparing the filling for the apple pie, her own favorite. Besides, if it got her out of having to brave the grocery store on Thanksgiving, she wasn’t going to object too much. She had just finished chopping the apples to mix with the rest of the ingredients when Kara returned. Shooting Kara a thankful smile, Alex immediately began adding the cinnamon to her mixture, anxious to get the pie in the oven.

The three women moved around each other easily in the kitchen, Kara having immediately taken over preparation of the potatoes. Alex had just finished mixing the stuffing and set it aside when a quiet sound made her look around. She found Maggie leaning in the entry to the kitchen, smiling softly.

Maggie had taken the time to change, now clad in one of Alex’s old Stanford hoodies, jeans, and sneakers instead of her boots and leather jacket. Alex immediately moved toward her fiancée. Maggie’s smile broadened as she looked past Alex into the kitchen. “I should make you cook more often. Sometimes I almost forget you can cook things besides breakfast.”

Alex laughed softly, pressing a gentle kiss to Maggie’s lips before responding. “If you can figure out a way for our schedules to make cooking regularly more feasible, I’m all ears.” Tenderly, Alex tucked a lock of Maggie’s hair behind her ear. “You have a good nap?” she asked softly.

Maggie leaned into her hand for a moment. “I did. Would’ve been better if you’d stayed.” Maggie smiled teasingly but her voice was equally soft, quiet enough that even Kara would only be able to hear them if she were using her super hearing.

Alex smirked a little, dropping her voice into an even more intimate register. “I’m not sure that would have actually resulted in a nap.”

Maggie laughed softly. “Probably true. I can’t wait to have you all to myself for a whole week.”

They exchanged grins at the abrupt sound of Kara fumbling the bowl she was working with. “Kara, please be careful.” Alex snickered at Eliza’s gentle admonishment before moving to face the kitchen again, automatically wrapping her arm around Maggie who shifted from leaning against the wall to leaning into Alex.

Maggie grinned. “Looks like you guys have been busy.”

“Yeah. We already had to sic Kara on the grocery store.”

“Only because Eliza didn’t want you getting arrested,” Kara responded without missing a beat. She looked up and smiled brightly at them both. “Hey, Maggie.”

Maggie chuckled. “Hey, Kara.” She looked up at Alex. “Arrested, huh?”

Alex scowled playfully. “I would not have gotten arrested.”

Maggie laughed again, wrapping her arm around Alex’s waist and squeezing lightly. “You hate people on the best of days, babe. I had to take your badge away from you last year when we went to the stores the day after Christmas so you wouldn’t use it to make people get out of your way.”

“I maintain it would have been more efficient.”

“Yes, dear.”

Alex arched an eyebrow. “Don’t ‘yes, dear’ me. You’re the one that threatened to arrest the woman who ran into us trying to get to the televisions.”

“She literally tried to run us over with her cart! On purpose!”

“Maggie, would you like some coffee?” Eliza interjected before the bickering could continue.

“That would be wonderful, thank you.”

“Let me just make a new pot.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. As long as it’s still hot, it’s fine.”

“Nonsense.”

“Eliza, honest. It will still be at least a dozen steps above the precinct coffee.”

While they were debating, Alex slipped away from Maggie’s side to retrieve a coffee mug and fill it. She handed the full mug to Maggie just in time to hear the comment about the precinct’s coffee and couldn’t repress a shudder. “Believe her on that one, Mom. I don’t know how they make it through the day over at the precinct.”

Maggie smiled sweetly up at Alex as she accepted the mug. “I make it because I have you ensuring I have good coffee in the travel mug before I leave. How the rest of the guys handle it isn’t my problem.”

Alex grinned a little. “I’m still surprised your taste buds weren’t long since destroyed by that sludge.”

“We can’t all have black ops secret agency budgets for our coffee.”

Alex chuckled. “True.” She kissed Maggie on the cheek. “Why don’t you grab a seat and relax so I can get back to the food?”

“Oh, no, I can help.”

“Maggie.” Alex gave her a stern look. “You were working all day yesterday until late and have been pulling extra shifts for the past two weeks. Sit. We can handle this.” Alex turned back to the rest of her family in time to catch the amused looks they exchanged. “What?”

“Nothing.” Kara tried to smile innocently but couldn’t completely hide her amusement.

Alex eyed her suspiciously while asking her mom, “What do you need me to do next?”

“Nothing.”

Alex blinked, looking away from Kara to her mom in consternation. “What?”

Eliza smiled, resting a hand lightly on Alex’s arm. “Go spend time with your fiancée. Kara and I can finish preparing dinner.”

“But—”

“Alex. You’ve been working just as hard as Maggie lately. This is supposed to be a holiday.”

“Yes, but—” This time her words were cut off by Maggie grabbing her hand.

“Gee, Danvers, one would almost think you don’t want to spend time with me.”

“What? No, of course I do. I just…” She trailed off and looked suspiciously around the room at her family. “You planned this.”

Maggie smiled innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, babe.”

“Uh-huh.” Alex reached up to lightly poke one of Maggie’s dimples, which deepened as her grin broadened. Normally, it wouldn’t be an action she would take in public—she and Maggie were both far too private for that—but here in her mom’s house with just close family present, she felt comfortable showing that side of herself, and the way Maggie was grinning rather than shying away told her that her fiancée felt the same. “Liar.” She looked over at her mom. “If you’re sure, Mom?”

Eliza smiled fondly. “Of course I’m sure. Go. We’ll have some lunch in about an hour.”

Alex briefly considered protesting again, but the desire to snuggle with her fiancée won out over the sense of duty. Shifting her hand so their fingers were intertwined, Alex led Maggie through to the family room and out on the upstairs deck, glad the curtains across the doors were currently closed.

As they exited the house, Maggie murmured teasingly, “I thought you hated the cold, Danvers.”

Alex flashed a grin and pulled her closer. “That’s why I have you. To keep me warm. Besides, as someone is so fond of informing me, sixty degrees isn’t cold.”

“Sounds like a smart person.”

Alex smiled softly. “Yeah, she is.” Her smile turned mischievous. “Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

Laughing at the outrage in Maggie’s voice, Alex settled into the corner of the outdoor loveseat after confirming it still was out of sight of the kitchen window (at least without a lot of craning one’s neck to see) and tugged Maggie’s hand lightly. Maggie resisted briefly, giving her a mock glare, ruined by the way her lips were starting to tilt upward. After the token resistance she curled into Alex’s chest, coffee mug cradled in her hands as Alex wrapped her arms around her. Sighing contentedly, Alex pressed her nose into Maggie’s neck feeling the tension that had been resting in her neck and shoulders slowly seeping out.

“I love you,” she murmured, lips moving against Maggie’s skin.

“I love you, too,” Maggie murmured back, seeming to melt against Alex.

“Thank you for coming up early. And convincing my mom to let me skip out on food prep.”

Maggie shook against Alex’s torso as she laughed softly. “It didn’t take much convincing. Apparently you were already being quite grumpy.”

Alex grumbled. “I was not grumpy.”

“No? So the growl when I woke you up wasn’t you being grumpy?”

Alex pressed a kiss to Maggie’s neck, lips curving in a smile. “Nope. Perfectly reasonable response to being woken up on a holiday.”

“Of course. And if I had been Kara?”

Alex kissed Maggie again, just behind her ear, before murmuring, “Justifiable homicide.” She didn’t miss the shiver that ran through Maggie’s frame.

“I see.”

Alex could hear the barely contained laugh in Maggie’s voice and nipped her earlobe lightly. Maggie shivered again. Alex grinned and tightened her arms around Maggie’s waist, nuzzling the crook of her neck. “Good. But seriously, thank you.”

 “Anytime. Besides,” Maggie turned as she spoke, setting the mostly empty coffee mug on the end table behind Alex, “it’s not like I don’t benefit from coming up early also.” She moved her now empty hand to wrap around the back of Alex’s neck, slowly pulling her closer. “And I’ll definitely benefit on the drive home.”

Alex smirked. “Is that so? See, I was kind of thinking I’d be the one benefiting there.”

“We could call it a tie.” She jumped slightly as Alex slid her hands under Maggie’s sweatshirt. “Jesus, Danvers, your hands are freezing.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, completely insincere, before capturing Maggie’s lips in a slow kiss, hands pressing solidly against the warm skin of her back. Maggie’s lips curved against hers in a smile, hand tangling in Alex’s hair as she shifted slightly so she could wrap the other in Alex’s sweater.

They made out languidly for several minutes, happy to be able to take their time together for the first time in weeks. Eventually, Maggie pulled away with a smile. Alex whined softly before blinking open her eyes. “Cold?”

Maggie laughed softly. “Not even close.” After another slow kiss, she moved to lean back against Alex’s chest, gazing out over the trees at the ocean. Alex’s hands slid to rest warmly against her stomach, still under the sweatshirt. “It’s beautiful here.”

Alex tucked her chin over Maggie’s shoulder, resting her head lightly against her fiancée’s. “It is. Murdering sheriff aside, not a bad place to grow up.”

Maggie half-turned. “I’m sorry, did you say murdering sheriff?”

Alex nodded. “Mmm, when Kara and I were in high school. He was helping smuggle drugs and ended up killing one of Kara’s friends.”

Maggie stared at her for a long moment.

“Oh, and he tried to kill me,” Alex added. “And then Kara saved me, and he’s still in prison last I knew.”

Maggie was silent, eventually shifting to lean back against Alex again.

“Mags? You ok?” Alex asked, concerned.

“Yeah. Just… processing. I mean, I know you. And I find myself unsurprised that you and Kara were solving murders in high school, and yet… somehow, still shocked.”

Alex chuckled and pressed her lips to Maggie’s cheek. “Must be why I’m marrying a cop.”

Maggie laughed and sank back into Alex again. “I’m sure that’s it, Danvers.”

“No, it definitely is. That way I can say things like, ‘You don’t want to do that. My wife’s a cop.’ It will be completely effective.”

Maggie laughed harder. “I’m sure it will be. Maybe I should be careful. Marrying such a troublemaker might be bad for my career.”

“Are you calling me a troublemaker, Detective Sawyer?”

Maggie turned and gave Alex an innocent look over her shoulder. “I would never, Agent Danvers.”

“Oh, my mistake.” Alex nodded with a serious expression before grinning and leaning forward to capture Maggie’s lips in a deep kiss. She expected Maggie to return the kiss briefly before going back to watching the scenery, quite familiar with her fiancée’s love of snuggling, but she certainly wasn’t going to argue when Maggie twisted around, somehow managing to keep their lips mostly connected, and straddled Alex instead. Alex let herself get lost in her fiancée, hands absently mapping Maggie’s back under the sweatshirt but going no further, a part of her aware that they weren’t in a private place. Not that it would be the first time her mom had walked in on them making out but Alex would prefer to keep it from being more traumatizing for all involved.

Eventually, Alex pulled away just enough to murmur, “I’ve missed you.” She slipped one hand from under the sweatshirt and reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind Maggie’s ear. “It’s been far more crazy these past few weeks than I’d hoped.”

Maggie smiled softly, gently brushing Alex’s hair back and weaving her fingers through it so her hand was cupping the back of Alex’s head. “It has, and I’ve missed you, too. But we have these few days and soon a whole week. Just us.”

“I can’t wait.” Alex grinned a little and pulled Maggie closer again, groaning quietly as Maggie deliberately rocked her hips into Alex’s as she leaned forward to resume kissing. She felt Maggie’s body shake with a muffled laugh and nipped her lip lightly, grinning smugly as the laugh turned into a gasp. Maggie pressed closer and Alex dropped the hand on her back lower to hold her in place, the other beginning to ghost down her fiancée’s chest.

Alex was just considering whether the risk of getting caught doing more than just making out was worth it when a throat clearing caught her attention. With effort, she pulled away from Maggie’s lips, blinking in a daze as she tried to focus on something that wasn’t her fiancée. An effort that wasn’t helped at all by Maggie ignoring the sound and dropping her own lips to Alex’s neck. She dismissed the sound almost immediately and let her eyes flutter shut. This was definitely way more important.

An exasperated sigh came along with an, “Alex,” that was somewhere between exasperation and amusement.

Alex wrenched her eyes open again and tilted her head to the side, finding her sister standing nearby, looking determinedly at the trees. She smirked a little and turned her attention to Maggie, raising the hand that had been on Maggie’s chest to tangle in her hair and gently detach her from Alex’s neck. “We have company, babe.”

Maggie let out a sigh that Alex couldn’t hear but definitely felt. She met Alex’s gaze with a wry smile and pressed their foreheads together briefly. Alex returned the smile, murmuring, “Later. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“I am right here, you know,” stated Kara.

Alex sighed. “Yes, we’re aware. That is why we stopped.”

Kara shuddered a little. “And I thank you for that. Is it safe to turn around?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. What do you need?”

Kara turned and arched an eyebrow, glancing pointedly at Alex’s hand which was still resting just above Maggie’s ass. Alex merely smirked in return and waited for her to continue. Kara sighed and shook her head but Alex caught the tiny smile. Kara may not particularly like walking in on people, but Alex knew her sister was happy for her.

“Eliza sent me to get you guys for lunch.”

“It’s that time already?”

“Lose track of time?”

“Looking at a clock wasn’t exactly my first priority, no.”

Kara paused then tilted her head slightly in concession. “Okay, point. Well, I’m going back in, but fair warning, if you don’t join us soon, your mom might come out here next. She’s still in the kitchen… for now.”

Alex laughed a little, exchanging an amused look with Maggie. “Got it. We’ll be there in a moment.”

Once Kara had reentered the house, Alex turned back to Maggie who was looking at her with an amused grin tinged with frustration. “She’s going to keep doing that all weekend, isn’t she?”

Alex hummed and nodded. “Yeah, probably. She has the best timing.” Maggie sighed. Alex wrapped her arms tightly around her fiancée, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t worry. I know how to lose her. And she won’t dare barge into our room,” she said quietly, nuzzling Maggie’s hair.

“Not if she knows what’s good for her. That happened enough when we were first dating, thanks.” Alex laughed softly and nodded, pressing another kiss to Maggie’s cheek, feeling it move as Maggie smiled. “When are the others supposed to get here?”

“Around midafternoon. So we probably have about three or so hours before chaos breaks out.”

Maggie nodded then pulled back and pressed a soft kiss to Alex’s lips. “We should probably head in before your mom really does come to look for us.” Alex sighed and pressed her face briefly into Maggie’s neck, grumbling quietly. Maggie laughed softly and ran her fingers through Alex’s hair gently. “I know, babe. Trust me.”

After a moment, Alex let out a long breath. “Ok, fine. Guess we’re getting up.” She grinned mischievously as Maggie moved to get off her lap and instead tightened her grip, shifting her hands to Maggie’s thighs. “Hang on.”

“Wha—?”

With a small grunt of effort, Alex rolled to her feet, carrying Maggie with her. Maggie automatically wrapped her legs around Alex’s waist, the hand in her hair tightening. Alex winced and moved her head slightly. Maggie immediately loosened her grip with a soft “sorry.” Alex smiled, kissing her gently. “Don’t worry about it. Just not quite the hair tugging I’m used to from you.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and pulled on Alex’s hair again, albeit much more gently. “Nerd.”

“You love it.”

“Mm, I do.”

Alex smiled smugly and started navigating the porch furniture and moving for the door. They had just reached the door when Maggie spoke again. “Uh, Alex?”

Alex stopped, pulling back enough to look Maggie in the eye. “What’s up?”

Maggie kept her voice low. “As much as I normally love being carried by you…”

Alex blinked. “Oh, right.” She immediately lowered Maggie gently to the ground. “Sorry. Guess I’m not that used to there being more people than us around.”

Maggie kissed her jaw lightly with a smile. “It’s fine. Shall we have some lunch?”

Alex smiled in reply and intertwined their fingers as they made their way inside. Kara glanced up as they reentered the kitchen with a smirk. “Glad you decided to join us.”

Alex rolled her eyes and then smirked in return when their mom chided, “Kara, leave them alone.”

“Yeah, Kara.”

“Alex, be nice to your sister.”

Alex rolled her eyes again at the smug look on Kara’s face before directing her attention to her mom. “What’s for lunch?”

“I left some things for sandwiches out for you girls. I wasn’t sure exactly what you would want.”

“Great. Thanks, Mom.” Alex steered herself and Maggie into the kitchen, exchanging soft smiles and stealing kisses as she assembled a pair of sandwiches. Alex had Maggie backed up against the counter and was exchanging a series of sweet kisses with her, sandwiches forgotten, when Kara walked by and pinched her side. Alex yelped, jumping to the side. Maggie dissolved into giggles as Alex turned to glare at Kara. “What the hell, Kara?”

Kara grinned unrepentantly. “You gonna eat those sandwiches or just make out? Because if it’s the latter, can I have them?”

“No, you cannot have them,” Alex grumbled, dodging another pinch, and picked the sandwiches up, handing one to Maggie. “Get your own food.” She followed Maggie to the table, flashing a smile at her mom.

As they settled in for lunch, Eliza asked, “What are your plans for this afternoon, dear?”

Alex shrugged, swallowing a bite of her sandwich. “Nothing really. Probably just watch some football unless you need help in here?”

Eliza nodded with a smile. “I think we’re pretty much done other than rotating things through the oven and frying the turkey but I’ll let you know.”

“Great.” Alex flashed another smile and tucked into the rest of her lunch, absently humming when she felt her fiancée’s hand settle on her thigh. A quick glance at Maggie showed the other woman wasn’t really aware of what she’d done, and Alex smiled to herself as she leaned slightly against Maggie’s side in response.

* * *

 

Alex stirred as a light tickling sensation at her ear filtered into her consciousness. Groggily, she batted at the air. Finding nothing, she resettled her arm, smiling sleepily as Maggie cuddled closer in response. Automatically, she snugged her arms tighter around the other woman, pulling her closer and relishing the comfortable warmth.

The tickling sensation resumed, and with a grumble, she flapped her hand again, meeting nothing but air. The third time she went to move her hand, she found it grabbed by a half-asleep Maggie who grumbled something about not moving. Alex was about to murmur something in response when she heard a soft giggle. She peeled her eyes open and turned her head, finding what the slowly waking up portion of her brain expected: her little sister sitting about ten feet away and giggling.

Alex scowled sleepily and grumbled, voice still raspy with sleep, “What do you want, Kara?”

Kara smiled innocently. “I thought you might like to know that J’onn and the guys are about ten minutes away.”

“And you couldn’t just wake us up like a normal person?”

“What’s the fun in that?” Kara grinned and shrugged. “Besides, you woke up, didn’t you? I could’ve just yelled.”

Alex sighed. “And then I would’ve shot you, which I’m sure mom would have loved.”

Kara looked at her in surprise. “Wait, you’re carrying your gun?”

Alex felt Maggie stir and automatically stroked her hand up and down her spine, reassuring her that there was no danger. Ignoring Kara’s question, Alex looked down at Maggie, smiling softly. “Hey, you.”

Maggie smiled back. “Hey. We fell asleep?”

“Yeah. Kara says the rest of the gang is just under ten minutes out.” Alex reached up and tenderly brushed some hair out of Maggie’s face. “You have a good nap?” A part of her registered the sound of Kara leaving the room but Alex remained focused on the woman snuggled up to her side.

Maggie nodded and stretched before settling half on top of Alex with a smile. “I did. You?”

“I always sleep well next to you.” Alex smiled at the faint blush she could see spread across Maggie’s cheeks and reached up to run a thumb across her cheekbones lightly.

Maggie shifted and reached up to grab Alex’s hand, pulling it around slightly so she could press a kiss to the palm. Alex felt a blush spread across her own cheeks at the action. Even after a year, Maggie could make her blush easily. Maggie’s smile widened, and she pressed another kiss to Alex’s hand before tucking their entwined hands under her chin. “I suppose that means we should get up.”

“Sadly, yes.” Neither moved, and eventually Alex arched an eyebrow, smiling fondly. “That means you first, given that you have me pinned.”

Maggie let out a playful sigh. “I suppose.” With a grin, she rolled off Alex and stood, stretching.

Alex stood and immediately wrapped her arms around Maggie’s waist, pulling her close and nuzzling her neck.

Maggie laughed softly, reaching back to tangle her hand in Alex’s hair. “I take it you aren’t awake yet.”

“Do I have to be?”

“Mm, depends on how cuddly you want the others to know you are.” She twisted slightly and gave Alex a mischievous look. “Since I know for a fact you aren’t actually carrying your gun to threaten anyone with.”

Alex laughed and stepped back. “True. I could use my boot knife, though.”

Maggie chuckled, shaking her head. “Or your index finger?”

Alex leaned forward to speak directly in Maggie’s ear, voice low, “You know you love it when I use my fingers.” Maggie shivered and shot Alex a warning look, silently promising revenge for that comment later. Alex straightened with a smug smile, nudging Maggie as she moved for the door, speaking over her shoulder, “Besides, it’s not like you aren’t armed.”

“Touché, Danvers.”

They made it down the stairs and reached the front door just as Kara yanked it open to bolt outside and greet the new arrivals. Alex exchanged an amused look with Eliza as her mom joined them in stepping outside, moving at a much more sedate pace than Kara. They found J’onn and M’yrnn already out of the car while Kara greeted them effusively. James and Winn scrambled out and Kara turned her attention to them. J’onn took advantage of her distraction to step over and greet Alex with a warm hug, followed by Maggie and Eliza. M’yrnn followed, his gaze darting around the area before focusing on the three women in order to exchange greetings.

Alex and Maggie exchanged brief hellos with James and Winn once Kara released them, before stepping back, arms wrapped around each other, and allowing the group to enter the house first. Once the door was shut, they let out a relieved breath then laughed. Maggie leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder for a moment, saying, “I have never been so relieved to have a group of guys insist on being chivalrous by giving me the guest room.”

Alex laughed again, squeezing Maggie’s waist briefly. “Agreed. I don’t even know why I tried to protest. The privacy will be a relief.”

Maggie grinned up at her and leaned up to steal a kiss. “A relief in so many ways.”

Alex smiled and leaned in for another kiss. “True. Shall we go watch Kara try not to explode the turkey?”

“Bets on how many times Winn and James ask if they can do it?”

Alex chuckled as they moved toward the door. “No bet.”

They found Eliza in the kitchen, swapping casserole dishes out of the oven. “Everyone else outside with the turkey, Mom?”

Eliza glanced up and nodded with a wry smile. “Last I heard Winn was trying to convince J’onn to convince Kara to let him do it.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Of course he was. We’ll go help supervise, give J’onn some backup.”

They exited the house again, this time in the back, just in time to hear Winn say, “I promise I’ll be careful!”

Alex sighed, exchanging a long-suffering look with J’onn. “How about we let the indestructible alien do it so when the oil inevitably splashes, I don’t have to treat anyone for oil burns.”

Winn practically pouted at her but backed away from the fryer, grumbling as he went. Alex shot a glare at James who had opened his mouth as if to comment. James smiled in acquiescence and backed away as well. Alex and Maggie had taken up position next to J’onn, on his other side from M’yrnn, who was already standing well back from the fryer. J’onn commented quietly, “You know, in all my years on this planet, I don’t believe I have ever cooked turkey with this particular method.”

Alex shrugged, watching Kara closely as she set about getting the turkey ready to submerge. Alex had placed a fire extinguisher, specifically for dousing grease fires, nearby earlier, but if she could prevent an accident before it happened, that would certainly be ideal. “Neither have we, but the guys and Kara decided we had to try it this year once we decided to do Thanksgiving up here rather than at Kara’s apartment.” She flashed a brief smile at J’onn and M’yrnn. “It’ll be a new experience for us all. And hopefully a good one for your father.”

J’onn smiled in reply and turned to watch his father, Alex following his gaze. M’yrnn was watching avidly as Kara followed the instructions on how to hook the turkey so it could be lowered into the fryer.

Alex smiled as she felt Maggie’s arms wrap around her waist, chin resting on Alex’s shoulder. Quietly, Maggie murmured into Alex’s ear, “He looks happy.”

Alex twisted her head so she could steal a kiss, interlacing her fingers with Maggie’s to keep them where they were. “Yes. Hopefully this won’t all blow up in our faces and ruin it… literally.”

“I heard that!” Kara called from her position, still focused on the turkey.

Maggie laughed and squeezed Alex’s waist. “My fiancée: the optimist.”

Alex shrugged slightly, leaning back into Maggie’s arms and returning her attention to Kara. “It works for me. Besides, I have it on good authority that my ‘unrelenting seriousness’ is one of my best qualities.”

J’onn chuckled at the statement, though, like Alex, he didn’t divert his attention from Kara.

Maggie just laughed softly in Alex’s ear and squeezed her again. “Your authority was right, Danvers.”

Alex smiled and squeezed Maggie’s hands lightly, wrapping her arms tighter around her own waist and pulling Maggie closer at the same time. She felt Maggie press against her back and drop a soft kiss on her jaw. Alex tried to keep the goofy grin off her face. A task made easier when she caught Winn watching and shot him a glare as he looked about to comment. He whipped back around to watch Kara intently and Alex smirked to herself.

She felt Maggie laugh against her back. “Do I want to know what expression you just gave poor Winn?”

Alex shrugged. “Nothing worse than he deserved.” She nudged Maggie. “Besides, I’m sure you were giving him quite the scary look, too.”

Maggie laughed again and nodded. “You know me well, Danvers.”

They both lapsed back into silence, watching as Kara carefully lowered the turkey into the fryer. Fortunately, all splashing was minor and Kara grinned proudly once the turkey was completely submerged. “Told you I could do it!”

Alex laughed softly, feeling Maggie vibrate with her own subdued laughter. “You did, Kara.”

Triumphantly, Kara placed the lid on the fryer before looking up with a brilliant smile. “How long does it have to cook, Alex?”

“Just under an hour.”

J’onn spoke up. “Why don’t you all go see if Eliza needs some help? My father and I will supervise the turkey.”

Winn blinked. “Are you sure?”

J’onn arched an eyebrow. “I am sure that I can handle monitoring a dead bird, yes, Mr. Schott.”

Winn flushed. “Right. Of course, sir.”

Alex hid a smile as J’onn’s expression softened. “It’s fine, Winn. Go relax.”

Winn flashed a small smile and nodded. “Got it. Let us know if you need help.”

“Of course.”

Alex watched as Kara, James, and Winn traipsed inside and let out a slow breath, absently squeezing Maggie’s hands before disentangling herself from her fiancée. J’onn turned to her with a gentle smile that Alex returned. She was about to speak when Kara poked her head out of the door. “Alex! Are you and Maggie coming?”

Alex sighed and heard Maggie snort next to her, muttering, “Not yet.”

Flicking an equally amused and exasperated glance at Maggie, Alex responded, “Yep. On our way, Kara.” She exchanged an amused look with J’onn before linking her hand with Maggie’s, leading her fiancée back into the house and whatever Kara had planned. Alex was positive she would prefer Maggie’s option of watching football—since that would also involve cuddling—but it was her sister and so she would tolerate whatever activity Kara had come up with in good spirits and knew Maggie would do the same.

* * *

 

By the time dinner rolled around, both Alex and Maggie were already missing the peacefulness from when it had just been them plus Kara and Eliza. Sure, Kara sometimes had terrible timing but the addition of four people, two of whom teamed up with Kara to become more like rambunctious teenagers, was exhausting. J’onn and M’yrnn had mostly stayed outside with the turkey while Alex and Maggie got dragged into a very vocal card game in the first floor den that Kara insisted they all play even though more of Maggie’s attention was on the football game playing in the background than her cards. And more of Alex’s was on Maggie, still occasionally surprised that she’d managed to get engaged to this woman as well as perpetually bemused at her fiancée’s love of football.

Alex blinked as fingers appeared in her field of vision, snapping and pulling her out of her reverie. She leaned back and looked up at her sister with a frown. “What?”

Kara gave her an amused look. “Dinner’s ready. Assuming you’re done staring at your fiancée.”

Alex scowled, shooting a glare at Winn and James as they started to snicker. They quickly subsided and stood, moving toward the stairway, muttering “excuse me”s. Alex smirked before redirecting her attention to her sister. “Yeah, got it. We’ll be there in a minute.”

Kara looked at her suspiciously for a moment. “Ok. But if you delay dinner because you two are too busy making out again…”

Alex rolled her eyes and lightly shoved Kara. “Just go.” Alex turned back to find Maggie watching her with an amused smile. She blushed. “What?”

“Staring at me, huh?”

She felt the blush deepen but grinned and pointedly glanced up and down Maggie’s body. “Well, can you blame me?”

Her grin edged into a smirk at the slight blush on Maggie’s face. Maggie rolled her eyes and leaned forward to steal a quick kiss. “Very smooth, Danvers.”

Chuckling, Alex kissed her again, pulling back with a sigh as an “Alex!” rang through the house. She smiled ruefully at Maggie. “Curses. Foiled again,” she drawled.

Maggie sighed as well but returned the smile and rose smoothly to her feet.

Alex followed suit. She grinned a little mischievously as Maggie turned to leave the living room. Taking a quick step forward, she gently grabbed Maggie’s arm and tugged her fiancée back around. Maggie barely got out a startled “What?” before Alex was kissing her, gently but thoroughly.

Maggie melted against her, hands slipping under the hem of Alex’s sweater to slide up her back. Alex pressed forward, trailing her hand from Maggie’s arm to bury it in her hair, other hand wrapping tightly around Maggie’s waist. After several seconds, Maggie finally broke the kiss, smiling up at Alex with a murmured “Wow.”

Alex laughed softly, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind Maggie’s ear. “Just thought maybe I’d give you a taste of later.”

“Later, huh?”

“Definitely.”

“And I will definitely hold you to that, Danvers.”

Alex grinned. “Deal.” She flicked a glance at the stairway and sighed softly. “I suppose we should go join the mob before Kara comes looking for us again.”

As if on cue there was another “Alex!” from closer this time. Almost immediately after, Kara appeared on the stairs. She looked at the two of them suspiciously. “I thought you weren’t going to delay dinner by making out.”

“We’re not making out,” Alex stated innocently.

Kara narrowed her eyes and looked pointedly at Alex’s back where Maggie’s hands still rested beneath her sweater. “Uh-huh…”

Alex shrugged. “Her hands were cold.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just come eat.”

She disappeared back upstairs and Maggie laughed softly against Alex as she extricated her hands from Alex’s sweater. “Guess we should join them.”

Alex smiled wryly. “Guess so. Did she warn you about the tradition she made up a couple years ago?” she asked as they started heading for the stairs hand-in-hand.

Maggie shot her a curious look. “No.”

Alex tugged her to a stop. “Ah. Well, then, fair warning. Kara makes everyone go around the room and say what we’re grateful for. But you don’t have to participate if you don’t want, I promise.” She hurried to add the last, well aware of her fiancée’s dislike for opening up too much in groups, even to their friends. Especially since they still only barely knew M’yrnn.

Maggie smiled up at her softly. “It’s okay. I promise.”

“You’re sure?” Alex looked at her seriously, trying to convey her sincerity. Sure, Maggie had opened up the night before the bridal shower to Eliza but it was still a small gathering of just the three of them. Alex never wanted to take her fiancée’s trust for granted.

“Positive.”

Alex studied her face for a moment then nodded. “Okay. Well, then, prepare yourself for the mayhem that is a Danvers Family Thanksgiving.” She paused. “Hopefully with less excitement than usual.”

Maggie was still chuckling at Alex’s comment as they entered the kitchen.

* * *

 

Dinner managed to pass without a hitch, Maggie’s quiet “For everyone here, especially Alex, for giving me a new family” having warmed Alex’s heart as it also made her blush. But now, dinner was complete and after helping clean up, Alex and Maggie had snuck out of the house before Kara could drag them into a game and were currently walking down to the beach hand in hand. Maggie leaned into Alex’s side and hummed quietly.

Alex looked over with a soft smile and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “Something on your mind?”

Maggie hummed again. “Yes. Kind of.”

Alex stopped, tugging Maggie gently to a stop. When the other woman turned to her with a confused look, Alex asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”

Maggie smiled, sweet but sad. “Nothing’s wrong… per se. Let’s keep walking.”

Alex frowned but let Maggie tug her back into motion. Gently, she squeezed her fiancée’s hand, not entirely sure what was going on but wanting to communicate as much support as she could. Quietly, they continued walking in the gathering twilight, heading down the beach and just outside the reach of the waves lapping at the shore.

Finally, Maggie spoke. The last rays of the sun cast her face mostly in shadow as Alex looked over, remaining silent. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise. It’s just… I’d forgotten what it was like to be at a family Thanksgiving, you know? My aunt and I had our own but it was just the two of us and then I went to college and, honestly, usually just stayed on campus to study for finals. It was easier and cheaper than trying to get back for the holiday when I’d have to do it again just a few weeks later.

And after college… I rarely went back. If I was there they wouldn’t invite her to the family Thanksgiving and I just… I felt so guilty that I was the reason everyone shunned her.”

“Maggie…”

Maggie shot her a small smile and squeezed Alex’s hand. “She told me eventually to stop feeling that way. Nearly yelled at me about it really. Said she didn’t want to go be with them anyway if they were going to act like that.” Maggie laughed a little. “I still didn’t really go back much but it was more due to lack of time or money than unwillingness. We’ve done our best to have Christmas together, at least, since Thanksgiving is rough.

So this whole big family thing… it’s weird. Nice. But weird.”

“Only nice? Hey now, I worked hard on that stuffing and green bean casserole! And the  _pie_!”

Maggie chuckled and bumped her shoulder into Alex’s. Alex gasped and stumbled dramatically, drawing a full laugh from Maggie. “Why am I marrying you again, nerd?”

Alex gasped again. “Excuse you! There are  _many_  reasons to marry me!”

Maggie stopped and turned to Alex, looking at her challengingly, eyes dancing in the dimming light. “Oh yeah? Name one.”

Alex stepped closer, invading her personal space. She dropped her voice, the gathering darkness contributing to the intimacy. “Only one?”

“We can start there…” Maggie gave Alex a taunting grin, laughing.

Alex shook her head briefly, flashing a grin herself before capturing Maggie’s lips in a long kiss. The sound of the waves provided a soothing background melody as they kissed slowly. As they broke apart, Alex raised her hand to gently brush the hair from Maggie’s face as the light breeze kept trying to blow it between them. All the teasing had dropped from her voice as she spoke softly, “I’m thankful you’re here with me.”

Maggie smiled up at her, reaching up to capture her hand and press a kiss to her palm briefly. “I’m thankful to be here with you.”

Alex smiled and pulled her into another brief kiss before intertwining their hands once more and continuing down the beach. After a few minutes she spoke again, voice quiet, “Were there any Thanksgiving traditions we missed for you? I know mom asked when we planned this but…”

Maggie squeezed her hand. “None that matter. Beyond the whole ‘extended family attends’ thing we didn’t have anything in particular other than my dad and uncles and cousins watching football. We did use to play some football on Friday but it’s not necessary.”

Alex looked at her sidelong. “But you miss it.”

Maggie was silent for a long moment before sighing. “Yeah, maybe a little. It was a fun time and, at least when I was younger, no one cared if you were a boy or a girl or anything. Just everyone in the family that wanted to joined in.” She flashed a smile at Alex. “But, we have Kara, James, and Winn. I’m sure they’ll be the source of plenty of shenanigans.”

Alex laughed softly though her thoughts raced. “True. You know Kara…”

Maggie grinned and leaned against Alex briefly. “So, where are you taking me?”

Alex set aside the tentative plans she’d been forming for the moment. “It’s a surprise.”

“Oh, come on, Danvers. Not even a hint?”

“Nope. You’ll just have to be surprised for once.”

Maggie looked over, giving Alex her best puppy dog eyes even as she let Alex continue to lead her down the beach. “Are you sure?”

Alex steadfastly refused to look over, though she couldn’t completely stop the tiny smile that was tugging at her lips. “Positive.”

“You know I hate surprises.”

“I do.”

“Alex…”

Alex laughed softly and stopped walking long enough to tug Maggie in for a brief kiss. “You’ll like it. I promise.”

Maggie huffed and mock-glared before laughing. “Ok, fine. You win.”

“Of course.”

Alex glanced over quickly enough to see the eye roll that her words triggered. Chuckling, she squeezed Maggie’s hand. “I’m pretty sure you’ll survive the remaining ten feet.”

Maggie glanced over, puzzled, before looking back ahead. “You’re taking me to a rock?”

“It’s a very big rock,” Alex pointed out with a grin.

Maggie gave her an unimpressed look. “Ok, nerd. What’s the significance of the rock?”

Alex laughed a little then smiled, not quite sadly. “Join me up top and I’ll tell you?”

Maggie nodded. Alex could read the concern in her eyes but ignored it for the moment in favor of clambering on top of the large boulder, one of several piled up on this portion of the beach. Once she was seated, she held a hand out and helped Maggie settle in front of her, back pressed to Alex’s chest.

Alex wrapped her arms around Maggie’s waist and tucked her chin over her shoulder. After a moment she spoke softly, just loud enough for Maggie to hear. “I used to come out here a lot after my dad ‘died.’ It was one of the few places Kara knew not to follow me and mom rarely came down to the beach once he was gone anyway. I’d come out here and just… sit and watch the waves. It made me feel closer to him, you know? Even now, knowing he’s alive and… out there… somewhere, it still does.”

“We’ll find him, Alex. I promise.” Maggie’s voice was just as soft, barely audible above the sound of the waves.

Alex didn’t respond verbally but tightened her arms around Maggie’s waist, pulling her closer. They sat in silence for several minutes, watching the waves roll in under the moonlight before Alex spoke again. “I love you, you know.”

She felt Maggie’s cheek move against her in a smile. “I know. I love you, too.”

They lapsed back into silence. Alex turned over her idea from earlier in her head. She was pretty sure everyone would be on board with it. They didn’t even need to know why. Knowing their group, everyone would want to play just for a chance to pretend their lives were something resembling normal.

Eventually, the slightly somber mood that had fallen at Alex’s words lifted and she was increasingly distracted by the feeling of Maggie pressed against her. Maggie had pried one of Alex’s hands from her waist and was absently fiddling with Alex’s fingers. Alex grinned a little and twisted her hand to catch Maggie’s.

Maggie laughed softly. “I was playing with that.”

“Oh really… I think I’d rather you play with it in a far different fashion.” She grinned, placing soft kisses on Maggie’s neck.

“Hm, would you now?” Maggie pulled Alex’s hand up and pressed kisses to her fingertips. “Care to elaborate on that?”

“Oh definitely.” Alex shifted, intending to move into a position so she could properly make out with her fiancée then stopped, grimacing. “Except, maybe not on a rock.”

Maggie froze for a split second then burst into peals of laughter. “Problem, babe?”

Alex huffed but chuckled after a moment. “Shut up, Sawyer.”

Maggie dropped off the rock and turned, grinning up at Alex. “Make me, Danvers.”

Alex raised her eyebrows before smirking dangerously. Lithely, she leapt to the ground, landing neatly next to Maggie. Immediately, she spun and boxed Maggie in, trapping her between her own body and the rock. “You were saying?”

“I said ‘make me,’ Danvers. You haven’t done that yet.” Maggie grinned up at her, eyes sparkling.

Alex flashed a brief grin before cupping Maggie’s cheek and kissing her thoroughly. Carefully, she moved forward, pinning Maggie gently against the rock as she deepened the kiss. She smiled against Maggie’s lips as she felt Maggie’s hands slide up her back to tangle in her hair. After a moment, however, Maggie pulled away with a grimace. Alex immediately backed away with a frown. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah, just… maybe not against a rock.”

Alex stared, then laughed. “Problem, babe?” she asked with a smirk.

“Shut up, Danvers.” Maggie laughed at her, shoving her lightly.

Alex grabbed her hand, trapping it against her body and grinning. “Make me.”

Maggie used the opportunity to twist the trapped hand and grab the lapel of Alex’s jacket, tugging her closer. “Take me somewhere more comfortable and I will.”

Alex kept grinning. “I think I can handle that.” She stepped back, releasing Maggie’s hand and held it out, palm up. “Shall we?”

Maggie chuckled and placed her hand in Alex’s. “Lead on, Agent Danvers.”

* * *

 

The next morning Alex woke up slowly, laughter from upstairs slowly filtering through the fog. She smiled sleepily as she felt Maggie’s naked form shift behind her, snuggling closer. Her smile broadened as her mind drifted back over the events of the night before. The walk on the beach had been wonderful. When they’d returned, everyone was camped out in the family room on the second floor playing games and Alex and Maggie had opted to stay downstairs and retire to their room rather than join the group. Which had led to a locked door and their current state of undress as they revisited promises made throughout the day.

Carefully, Alex rolled over onto her back. Maggie shuffled and snuggled into her side but didn’t wake up. Alex reached up and gently brushed the hair out of her fiancée’s face, frowning slightly at the circles under Maggie’s eyes. Neither of them had been sleeping particularly well lately, stressed about the wedding and life in general. Maggie, in particular, though, had been working extra-long hours to compensate for the time off she was taking for their honeymoon. Leaning over, Alex placed a soft kiss on Maggie’s forehead before slowly sliding out of the bed, careful not to wake Maggie.

She tugged the covers over Maggie’s shoulders before dressing quickly and quietly. With one last affectionate smile at the bed, Alex slipped out of the room to tame her hair and head upstairs. This was the perfect opportunity to share her plan with the rest of the group.

Alex paused in the doorway to the kitchen, half-smiling. J’onn and his father were nowhere to be seen but Kara, James, and Winn were at the kitchen table playfully arguing over who got the next stack of pancakes that Alex’s mother appeared to be making at the center island in the kitchen. After another moment of watching she continued into the room, making a beeline for the coffee maker. She half waved to the others as she did so.

“Alex!” Kara’s perky voice practically rang through the kitchen.

Alex grunted in response, focused on fixing her coffee. She had just set the honey aside, a small smile on her face at the idea that her mother had set it out for her, when she was practically tackled by her sister. “Oof. Good morning to you, too, Kara.”

“You missed the games last night!”

Disentangling herself from Kara’s arms, Alex picked up her coffee and took a sip, relishing the almost too hot temperature. “Yes, I’m aware.”

“Where were you?” Kara eyed her suspiciously.

Alex merely arched an eyebrow. “With Maggie. I doubt you want more details.”

“Um, no, no I do not.”

Alex met the gazes of Winn and James and smirked as they both tried not to laugh at Kara’s response. Changing the subject, Alex asked, “Where are J’onn and M’yrnn?”

“J’onn wanted to show his father the ocean. He said they’d been in National City but this was different.”

Alex nodded quietly, sipping her coffee. “Did he say when they’d be back?”

“No.”

“Ah.”

“Why?” Kara gave her another suspicious look.

Alex laughed and moved through the kitchen to join the guys at the table. “Nothing nefarious, Kara. I was just thinking maybe we could play some football later today.  _If_  you promise not to use your powers!”

Kara’s look grew more suspicious if possible. “Football? That’s new.”

Alex sighed and glanced toward the door to confirm Maggie hadn’t arrived. She dropped her voice anyway. “Maggie’s family used to play at Thanksgiving and I thought it might be fun to recreate that tradition.”

“Oh!” No one but Alex knew the entire story of why Maggie no longer spoke to her parents, but they agreed enthusiastically. Kara grinned. “I bet J’onn would join us and give us even numbers, too.”

Alex frowned slightly. “I don’t know…”

Kara smiled softly and nudged Alex with her shoulder. James and Winn conveniently fell into their own conversation. Kara spoke quietly, “For you? You know he will.”

Alex sighed softly. “I know but I don’t want him to feel obligated.”

“Alex,” Kara cut her off with an understanding smile. “It’s not an obligation and you know it.”

“I—thanks, Kara.”

The sound of the coffee pot being moved made them both turn. Alex’s face broke into a broad smile at the sight of Maggie quietly filling up her coffee mug. She ignored the rolled eyes and knowing smile from Kara as she immediately stood and dodged around the counter to make her way to her fiancée.

Alex wrapped her arms around Maggie’s waist, feeling the other woman tense then immediately relax as she recognized the grip. Pressing her face into the side of Maggie’s neck for a moment, Alex dropped a kiss there before murmuring, “Morning, beautiful.”

Maggie turned in her arms, smiling sweetly up at her. “Morning, gorgeous.”

“You could have slept in longer.”

“You weren’t there to keep me warm.”

Alex rolled her eyes but smiled. “Says the walking furnace.”

Maggie sipped her coffee and gave Alex an innocent look. Alex laughed and dropped a quick kiss on her nose once she lowered the coffee mug.

Eliza’s voice broke them apart. “Girls, the pancakes are ready.”

Ignoring the outraged squawk from Kara insisting the next set was supposed to be  _hers_ , Alex released Maggie and turned to take the two plates her mother was holding out. Throwing a smirk at Kara, she led the way back to the table.

By the time everyone had had their fill of pancakes, J’onn and M’yrnn had returned. Alex and Maggie had taken over making them after eating so Eliza could have a break and now lounged against the counter, arms wrapped around each other as everyone chatted and relaxed. Alex smiled quietly to herself. She and her mother had had their ups and downs, she couldn’t deny that. But this? The ability to be here, in her mother’s kitchen, with her fiancée and family? It was all worth it.

She watched quietly, content to let Maggie do most of the participating for them and only chiming in occasionally. Eventually, however, she wrestled forward the part of her that was capable of being a hostess and also wanted to implement her plan. Straightening, she spoke just loud enough to cut through the chatter, “I was thinking, since it’s such a nice day out we should head out to the beach. It should be fairly empty with everyone shopping.”

Everyone agreed readily and Alex ignored the knowing looks from the others. She simply didn’t want to make a big deal out of the plan.  _Or draw attention to it in case it goes horribly wrong_ , her mind unhelpfully pointed out. Sighing inaudibly, she fell in at the back of the group with Maggie as everyone traipsed downstairs and out the front door toward the beach. She ignored how Kara conveniently vanished for a moment before reappearing, none-too-subtly handing something to James. Alex was pretty sure Maggie hadn’t noticed, though, and that was what mattered.

They had just reached a decent sized stretch of beach when James called out, “Hey, Maggie! Look alive!”

Alex watched with a small smile as Maggie stopped talking midsentence, her head whipping around to face James. Her hands came up just in time to catch the football he had gently lobbed at her. Alex watched as Maggie gave the ball, then James, a bemused look.

Maggie tossed the football in the air lightly, a slow grin spreading. She looked over at James then whipped the football toward him without warning. She laughed brightly as he blinked in surprise, just managing to field the ball.

With a laugh, James lobbed it at Winn who promptly dropped it.

Alex chuckled. “Good job, Winn.”

He glared half-heartedly as he scooped up the ball and threw it at her in credible fashion.

Alex chuckled softly as she easily fielded it and dropped back to pass it to Kara who had already started jogging down the beach. Within minutes the group had spread out for the makeshift game of catch before Kara excitedly suggested a “proper” game.

“But we only have five. That’ll be unfair,” Winn protested.

Alex glanced over at J’onn just in time to catch M’yrnn prodding his son to join the group and “show him how this Earth game is played.” She ducked her head with a grin before glancing back up as Kara declared, “Ok, teams: J’onn, Alex, and Maggie. Me, Winn, and James.”

Winn frowned. “Wait, what?”

Alex merely arched an eyebrow. “Each team has an alien. And each team is comprised of people that know each other well. Sounds good to me.” She pinned Kara with a glare. “However,  _no_  superpowers.” Kara rolled her eyes but nodded. Alex grinned. The competitive side of her had a good feeling about this.

Each team huddled for strategy and Alex immediately turned to J’onn. “Sir, you don’t—”

He cut her off with a gentle smile. “I want to, Alex. Now. Shall we craft our strategy for defeating the ‘superfriends’?”

Alex grinned wickedly. “Let’s. J’onn, you get Kara. You’re who she’ll be most likely to want to avoid hitting.”

“Not your fiancée?”

“Nope. Maggie gets James.”

“And you take Winn,” Maggie finished with a laugh. “Poor guy.”

Alex shrugged and smiled innocently. “All’s fair in love and football. And it was Kara’s idea.”

They finished up their strategy session quickly and met with the others to agree on how scoring would be handled. Eliza and M’yrnn agreed to be the refs though the latter was still somewhat mystified as to what would be happening. They had also agreed that the aliens were not permitted to be ball carriers given it was more than a little unfair to have to try and get a football from someone that couldn’t be knocked over.

Alex’s team won the coin toss (administered by Eliza) and she exchanged a quick, exhilarated grin with Maggie. They quickly spread out and Alex waited for Eliza to signal the start of the game.

An hour or so later, Alex’s team had won resoundingly. Winning even more handily than Alex had expected. Her predictions for how the others would react to individuals had been correct. Even more, Kara had clearly underestimated just how in sync she was with both J’onn and Maggie. Not that James and Winn and Kara didn’t know each other well, but the addition of tactical training on Alex’s side made it a bit unfair. Especially with Kara refraining from use of her powers. Being super dense was only so helpful if you couldn’t be the one carrying the football to the designated “end zone.”

As they slowly made their way back toward the house for some lunch, Maggie grabbed Alex’s hand and slowed them down until they were trailing the group. Alex gave her a curious look, though she suspected she knew what Maggie wanted to talk about. But Maggie merely laced their fingers together and squeezed Alex’s hand, pressing against her slightly as they walked. Alex smiled contentedly and raised Maggie’s hand to brush a kiss across the back of it.

Maggie shot her a warm smile and immediately followed suit, murmuring, “I love you,” as she did so.

“I love you, too.”

“Thank you for this.”

Alex briefly thought about downplaying it but dismissed the idea almost as soon as it occurred. Maggie would know anyway and reprimand her, gently, for downplaying her own actions. Instead, she smiled softly. “Always.”


End file.
